At-Talaq: 8

Ayah

Word by Word

وَكَأَيِّن

And how many

مِّن

قَرۡيَةٍ

a town

عَتَتۡ

rebelled

عَنۡ

against

أَمۡرِ

(the) Command

رَبِّهَا

(of) its Lord

وَرُسُلِهِۦ

and His Messengers

فَحَاسَبۡنَٰهَا

so We took it to account

حِسَابٗا

an account

شَدِيدٗا

severe;

وَعَذَّبۡنَٰهَا

and We punished it

عَذَابٗا

a punishment

نُّكۡرٗا

terrible

Translation

How many populations that insolently opposed the Command of their Lord and of His messengers, did We not then call to account,- to severe account?- and We imposed on them an exemplary Punishment.

Tafsir

Punishment for defying Allah's Commandments

Allah the Exalted threatens those who defy His commands, deny His Messengers and contradict His legislation, by informing them of the end that earlier nations met who did the same,

وَكَأَيِّن مِّن قَرۡيَةٍ عَتَتۡ عَنۡ أَمۡرِ رَبِّهَا وَرُسُلِهِ

And many a town revolted against the command of its Lord and His Messengers;

meaning, they rebelled, rejected and arrogantly refused to obey Allah and they would not follow His Messengers,

فَحَاسَبۡنَاهَا حِسَابًا شَدِيدًا وَعَذَّبۡنَاهَا عَذَابًا نُّكۡرًا

and We called it to a severe account, and We shall punish it with a horrible torment.

meaning, horrendous and terrifying

فَذَاقَتۡ وَبَالَ أَمۡرِهَا

So it tasted the evil result of its affair,

meaning, they tasted the evil consequences of defiance and they regretted their actions when regret does not avail,

وَكَانَ عَاقِبَةُ أَمۡرِهَا خُسۡرًا

أَعَدَّ اللَّهُ لَهُمۡ عَذَابًا شَدِيدًا

and the consequence of its affair was loss. And Allah has prepared for them a severe torment.

means, in the Hereafter, added to the torment that was sent down on them in this life. Allah the Exalted said, after mentioning what happened to the disbelieving nations,

فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ يَا أُوۡلِي الاۡاَلۡبَابِ

So have Taqwa of Allah, O men of understanding,

meaning, `O you who have sound understanding, do not be like them because if you do, you will suffer what they suffered, O people of comprehension,'

الَّذِينَ امَنُوا

who believe,

meaning, in Allah and His Messengers,

قَدۡ أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ إِلَيۡكُمۡ ذِكۡرًا

Allah has indeed sent down to you a Reminder.

meaning, this Qur'an.

Allah also said,

إِنَّا نَحۡنُ نَزَّلۡنَا الذِّكۡرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَـفِظُونَ

Verily, We, it is We Who have sent down the Dhikr and surely, We will preserve it. (15:9)

The Qualities of the Messenger

Allah's statement

رَّسُولاً يَتۡلُو عَلَيۡكُمۡ ايَاتِ اللَّهِ مُبَيِّنَاتٍ

A Messenger, who recites to you the Ayat of Allah containing clear explanations,

Some said that the Messenger is the subject of what is being sent (as a reminder) because the Messenger is the one that conveys the Dhikr.

Ibn Jarir said that what is correct is that the Messenger explains the Dhikr. This is why Allah the Exalted said here,

رَّسُولاً يَتۡلُو عَلَيۡكُمۡ ايَاتِ اللَّهِ مُبَيِّنَاتٍ

(A Messenger, who recites to you the Ayat of Allah containing clear explanations),

meaning, plain and apparent.

The statement of Allah;

لِّيُخۡرِجَ الَّذِينَ امَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ

that He may take out those who believe and do righteous good deeds, from the darkness to the light.

Allah's is like saying;

كِتَابٌ أَنزَلۡنَـهُ إِلَيۡكَ لِتُخۡرِجَ النَّاسَ مِنَ الظُّلُمَـتِ إِلَى النُّورِ

A Book which We have revealed unto you in order that you might lead mankind out of darkness (14:1),

and,

اللَّهُ وَلِيُّ الَّذِينَ ءامَنُواۡ يُخۡرِجُهُم مِّنَ الظُّلُمَـتِ إِلَى النُّور

Allah is the Guardian of those who believe. He brings them out from darkness into light. (2:257)

meaning, out of the darkness of disbelief and ignorance into the light of faith and knowledge.

Allah the Exalted called the revelation that He has sent down, light, on account of the guidance that it brings.

Allah also called it Ruh, in that, it brings life to the hearts,

وَكَذَلِكَ أَوۡحَيۡنَأ إِلَيۡكَ رُوحاً مِّنۡ أَمۡرِنَا مَا كُنتَ تَدۡرِى مَا الۡكِتَـبُ وَلَا الاِيمَـنُ وَلَـكِن جَعَلۡنَـهُ نُوراً نَّهۡدِى بِهِ مَن نَّشَأءُ مِنۡ عِبَادِنَا وَإِنَّكَ لَتَهۡدِى إِلَى صِرَطٍ مُّسۡتَقِيمٍ

And thus We have sent to you Ruh of our command. You knew not what is the book, nor what is faith But We have made it a light wherewith we guide whosoever of Our servants We will. And verily, you are indeed guiding to the straight path. (42:52)

Allah's statement,

وَمَن يُوۡمِن بِاللَّهِ وَيَعۡمَلۡ صَالِحًا يُدۡخِلۡهُ جَنَّاتٍ تَجۡرِي مِن تَحۡتِهَا الاَۡنۡهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَدًا

قَدۡ أَحۡسَنَ اللَّهُ لَهُ رِزۡقًا

And whosoever believes in Allah and performs righteous good deeds, He will admit him into Gardens under which rivers flow, to dwell therein forever. Allah has indeed granted for him an excellent provision.

The same was explained several times before, and therefore, we do not need to repeat its explanation here.

All the thanks and praises are due to Allah.

Allah's Perfect Power

Allah the Exalted asserts His perfect power and infinite greatness, so that the great religion that He has legislated is honored and implemented,

اللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَ سَبۡعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ

It is Allah Who has created seven heavens,

Allah said in similar Ayat, like what Prophet Nuh said to his people,

أَلَمۡ تَرَوۡاۡ كَيۡفَ خَلَقَ اللَّهُ سَبۡعَ سَمَـوَتٍ طِبَاقاً

See you not how Allah has created the seven heavens one above another. (71:15)

and,

تُسَبِّحُ لَهُ السَّمَـوَتُ السَّبۡعُ وَالاٌّرۡضُ وَمَن فِيهِنَّ

The seven heavens and the earth and all that is therein, glorify him. (17:44)

Allah's statement,

وَمِنَ الاَۡرۡضِ مِثۡلَهُنَّ

and of the earth the like thereof.

means, He created seven earths.

In the Two Sahihs, there is a Hadith that states,

مَنۡ ظَلَمَ قِيدَ شِبۡرٍ مِنَ الاَۡرۡضِ طُوِّقَهُ مِنۡ سَبۡعِ أَرَضِين

Whoever usurps the land of somebody unjustly, even if it was a mere hand span, then his neck will be encircled with it down to the seven earths.

And in Sahih Al-Bukhari the wording is:

خُسِفَ بِهِ إِلَى سَبۡعِ أَرَضِين

he will sink down to the seven earths.

In the beginning of my book, Al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah, I mentioned the various narrations for this Hadith when I narrated the story of the creation of the earth.

All the thanks and praise is due to Allah. Those who explained this Hadith to mean the seven continents have brought an implausible explanation that contradicts the letter of the Qur'an and the Hadith without having proof.

يَتَنَزَّلُ الاۡمۡرُ بَيۡنَهُنَّ لِتَعۡلَمُوا

أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيۡءٍ قَدِيرٌ

وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ قَدۡ أَحَاطَ بِكُلِّ شَيۡءٍ عِلۡمًا

His command descends between them, that you may know that Allah has power over all things, and that Allah surrounds all things with (His) knowledge.

This is the end of the Tafsir of Surah At-Talaq, all the thanks and praise is due to Allah.